Storm Damrey swept through Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen on November 5, 2017

By late Sunday, storm Damrey had killed 44, left 29 missing, and demaged tens of thousands of homes. Damage is estimated to be millions of USD. Pham Trieu, Chairman of the Lac Duong district People’s Committee in Lam Dong province, said recovery steps were begun immediately: “Militias and youth groups are mobilized to help people repair their houses. Affected people have been relocated to temporary shelters.”

Dak Lak province dispatched recovery teams to hardest hit areas. Y Giang Gry Nie Knong, Vice Chairman of the Dal Lak provincial People’s Committee, said: “We are calling on localities and agencies to implement emergency measures, so that nobody is left without shelter or food. Damaged houses should be repaired. The province will continue to help locals with reconstruction.”

Hoang Duc Cuong, Director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said water levels of rivers from Quang Binh to Binh Dinh and the Central Highlands are rising. He warned of flash floods and landslide in mountainous areas and widespread flooding in lower areas.

At an emergency meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on Sunday, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong urged more aggressive solutions: “Local committees for natural disaster prevention and control should be stricter and more specific in managing reservoirs. The weather forecasting agency should give more updated and accurate information. This task is difficult, but it is not impossible. Forecasts will help the entire political system to adopt proper responses and the people to be informed.

Minister Cuong called on localities to create detailed scenarios for recovery efforts, including evacuation of people from high-risk areas.